Ash tray



Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UITED STATES PATENT OFFIC 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in ash trays or holders, theobject being to provide an improved ash holder having a part for firstreceiving ashes from a. pipe, cigarette or 5 cigar and accompanyinglitter from which it may be deposited into a receptacle detachablysupported within the body of the device and securely held againstdisplacement.

A further feature of the invention is involved 10 in the formation of abody member having an inverted cone wall depending from the upper endand open at the center. The body is also open at the bottom into whichthe final receptacle may be introduced, the depending cone portion 15cooperating with a reversely positioned spring supported cone element toprovide an initial receiver for ashes and litter and by depression ofspring supported cone element an opening is provided for position ofashes and the like from the 2 initial receptacle to the removablereceptacle.

These objects and other additional novel features of construction andarrangement of parts are hereinafter more fully described and claimed,and an ash tray embodying the various novel 25 features of my inventionis shown in preferred form in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig 1is a plan view of my improved ash tray.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. J

30 The body of the structure is preferably formed of one piece shown atThis is merely a shell having the rim 2 at the upper end and acomparatively short inverted truncated cone formed by the depending wall3, the terminal edge 4 of 35 which is also reversibly inclined providinga seat for the reversely positioned cone member 5 preferably of sheetmetal or other appropriate material. Below the upper end the body is ofgreater diameter having the vertical wall 6 and con- 40 nected with theWall below the rim 2 by a shoulder 1, the purpose of which will behereinafter explained. This lower Vertical wall 6 of the body preferablyhas a series of three latch members 8 consisting of a rod like portionslidable in a 45 transverse aperture in the vertical bottom wall 6 andmovable by means of the handle end 9. Each of these rod like portions ofthe latch member 8 has a circumferential groove ID in which a ball |lseats by action of a spring l2 which 50 are supported in a verticalaperture by means of a threaded plug l3 introduced thereinto from thebottom edge of the vertical wall 6. The inner ends of these rod likeportions 8 of the latch members are also formed with a tapered end 4 and55 at a distance back'of the taper a ring 15 is seecured in a grooveformed therefor in the rod. This ring |5 provides a means preventing thecomplete withdrawal of the latch member from its aperture and the springpressed ball simply provides a means preventing displacement of the 5latch member accidentally, the ball being yieldabl'y retractable in itsaperture by pulling on the handle 9. Coil springs |5 are providedbetween the ring l5 and the wall of the body to urge the latches 8toward the receptacle I6. If de- 10 sired such springs may be designedsufficiently strong so as to eliminate the necessity of the ball locksII.

There are preferably three of these latch members and an ash receptacle,indicated generally at it, is provided being freely movable to positionthrough the open bottom end of the body. The upper open end of the ashreceptacle has an inwardly inclined terminal wall I! which automaticallypressed the latch members outwardly by insertion of the receptacle l6and below this upper end the receptacle is also provided with areversely inclined wall l8 beneath which the tapered ends of the latchmembers engage as the receptacle reaches its position or even prior toits final position in which the upper edge of the inwardly inclinedflange portion seats against the under side of the shoulder l. The ashreceptacle is preferably of sheet metal and has secured to animpressedcentral portion 19 thereof a hollow tubular member 20. The coned member5 is truncated in form and provided on its under side with a stem 2|slidable in the tubular member 20, the stem 2| being secured in place bya bolt having a threaded shank 22 passing through an aperture in thetruncated end of the cone member 5 and threaded into an apertureprovided therefor in the stem 2|. A hand nut 23 is provided on the shank22 and a packing ring '24 may be provided in the base of the nut 40 andthe upper surface of the truncated end of the cone.

The stem 2| below the threaded shank 22 is hollow to receive a helicalspring 25 which seats at the bottom in a recess 26 provided therefor inthe base of the receptacle it in the construction shown and thusnormally acts to force the cone member 5 to contact with the inwardlytapered end portions l of the cone wall 3. In depressing the cone member5 by means of the hand nut 23 air would tend to be compressed in thischamber for the spring formed by the tubular member 20 and stem 2| andto prevent this the wall of the stem 2| has a groove 26 of considerablelength cut into the side wall and providing an opening 5 at 2! to thespring chamber 28. The length of the groove 26 is such that at thegreatest depression of the cone member 5 in normal use, air may flowfrom this spring chamber 28 through the aperture 27 to the interior ofthe cone member 5 which, under such condition, is open to atmospherebetween the lower end of the member 5 and the tapered seat 4 for thecone.

The rim 2 is provided with a series of grooved portions 29 the rim beinglaterally extended at each groove as shown more clearly at 30 in Fig. 2and providing a support for a cigar or cigarette which is here indicatedat 3|. The cigar or cigarette if it is desired may be placed in thegroove with the ash end facing inwardly so that any ashes from the cigaror cigarette fall into what I have termed the initial receptacle orreceiver formed by the space 32 between the outer face of the conemember 5 and the inner face of the cone wall 3.

Thus, ashes and litter may accumulate in the space 32 and this space maybe freed of such ash and litter by depressing the coned member 5 byplacing the hand upon the nut 23 which has a form adaptable for thepurpose and in thus depressing the same the ashes and litter fall bygravity between the outer face of the coned member 5 and the taperededge 4 of the wall 3 into the receptacle 16, the open upper end of whichis considerably greater in diameter than the diameter of the lower endof the member 5.

By this arrangement of parts the tray may be used throughout aconsiderable length of time before it is required to be emptied. Theusual trays in use not only leave all the litter and ash in view but areof such small capacity as to require frequent emptying thereof usuallyat some point remote from the point of use. This described relationshipof parts embodying my invention obviates such necessity for frequentcleaning and provides opportunity to deposit the ashes and litter in areceptacle not within vision of the users thereof.

To empty the final receptacle l6 the user may, through release of thelatch members 9, raise the body member I from its association with thereceptacle l6 and the coned member 5. The coned member 5 may then bewithdrawn from association with the receptacle and the receptacle thenemptied in the usual Way.

From the foregoing description it is believed evident that the structureis comparatively simple and inexpensive, that the described functionalrelationship of the parts provides a structure involving the objects ofthe invention, and it is pointed out that various changes in thestructure may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus briefly described my invention, its utility and mode ofoperation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is 1. In an ash tray, a hollow body having an openingcentrally therethrough, the body at the top opening having a Wall in theform of an inverted truncated cone and providing a central aperture, theopening at the opposite end of the body being of greater diameter thansaid central aperture, an internal shoulder formed between the ends ofthe body, a receptacle of sheet metal having an open upper end, theupper edge of the receptacle engaging the under face of the saidinternal shoulder, a plurality of spring-actuated latch membersreciprocably mounted in the wall of the body at the lower end, thereceptacle wall in cross section having an inwardly inclined portion atthe open end, a cylindrical part and an inwardly and downwardly inclinedportion therebelow merging with the receptacle bottom of less diameterthan the said circular portion thereof, the said inclined portions ofthe receptacle wall providing a means whereby, in passing the receptacleinto the bottom opening of the body, the latch members are first movedoutwardly by the upper inclined portion and then permitted to moveinwardly as the second of said inclined portions is engaged by saidlatch members to automatically hold the body member with its open end incontact with the shoulder, a tubular stem centrally positioned in thereceptacle having an open upper end, a tubular element slidable in theopen end of the stem, spring means positioned in the stem and tubularelement for forcing the slidable element upwardly, a sheet metal conedelement supported by the slidable member, said cone element havingoutwardly and. downwardly extending walls of a diameter at the bottomgreater than the opening of the coned wall and held in engagementtherewith by the spring, the said coned wall of the body and sheet metalcone providing a V shaped receptacle for ash and litter and which may bedischarged into the receptacle by depressing the sheet metal coneagainst the tension of its spring.

2. In an ash tray, a hollow body having an opening at the top andbottom, the upper open end of the body having an inwardly and downwardlyinclined frusto-conical wall providing a central opening below the saidupper end and the opposite end having an opening of greater diameter,the wall of the body being formed with an internal shoulder between theends, a flange depending from said shoulder and forming a base for theash tray, an open top receptacle insertable in the bottom opening of thebody, means for holding the open end of the receptacle in engagementwith the under face of the shoulder, said means supporting the entirereceptacle within said flange, a tubular stern extending upwardly towardthe open end of the receptacle, a coned element above the receptaclehaving a depending stem reciprocable in the stem of the receptacle, anda spring interposed between the said stems forcing the coned elementupwardly to engagement with the downwardly inclined frustoconical Wallat the upper end of the body.

3. An ash tray comprising a hollow body member of the desired formhaving an opening to the interior both at the top and the bottom, theopening at the top having an inwardly and downwardly inclinedfrusto-conical wall providing a circular aperture at the lower end, theopposite end of the body having an opening of greater diameter, saidbody having an internal shoulder at a point below the terminal portionof the frustoconical well, an annular flange extending downwardly fromsaid shoulder and providing a supporting base for the ash tray, areceptacle having an open upper end insertable through the bottomopening of the body with the upper edge to contact the under face of theshoulder, a coned member having an outwardly inclined depending wall,the lower end of which is of greater diameter than the aperture of thefrusti-conical wall of the body and positioned therein, spring meansbetween the receptacle and the coned member tending to hold the conedmember in engagement with the frusto-conical wall to close the or udaperture thereof, the V shaped area defined by the coned wall andfrusto-conical member providing an initial receptacle for ashes anddepression of the coned member against the tension of its springproviding an opening through which the ash and litter may pass bygravity into the receptacle, and releasable means for holding thereceptacle in position within the flange of the body.

4. In an ash tray holder, a hollow body member having an opening at thetop and bottom, the member at the top being inwardly and downwardlyinclined providing a frusto-conical wall having a central aperture belowthe top, the open end of the bottom being of greater diameter than theopening at the top providing an internal shoulder therebetween and asupporting flange extending downwardly from said shoulder, an open endedreceptacle insertable within said flange with the edge thereof inengagement with the under surface 01 the shoulder, a cone membersupported bythe receptacle and engaging the opening of thetrusto-conical wall, spring means between the receptacle and the conemember to hold the same in engagement with the wall and permittingrelease of the same by downward movement toward the receptacle, and aspring-actuated means for holding the receptacle in engagement with theshoulder and

